PETA wants robot groundhog

Posted:
Thursday, January 28, 2010 12:28 AM EST

PUNZSUTAWNEY, PA (KWWL) -- In a letter to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is asking organizers to retire Punxsutawney Phil, the famed weather prognosticator.

PETA claims groundhogs become stressed in front of large, screaming crowds, and that Phil is also prevented from preparing for and entering yearly hibernation.

Saying "tradition is no excuse for cruelty," PETA wants to see an animatronic Phil, which it says will "mesmerize" the crowd.

The president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club says Phil is treated better than the average child in Pennsylvania.